Vehicle-wrench



(No Model.)

J. S. HOUSE.

VEHICLE WRENCH No. 583,901. Patented'June' 8,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. HOUSE, OF SPRIhIGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-WRENCH.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,901, dated June 8,1897.

Application filed August 27, 1896. Serial No. 604,127 (No model.)

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HOUSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehiclerenches, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exactdescription as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use my said invention. 7

My invention relates to that class of wrenches commonly calledsocket-wrenches, and which are used to put on or to detach the axle-nutsof vehicles. Such wrenches as heretofore commonly constructed have beenmade with fixed handles, and in operating the wrench. so as to screw orunscrew the axlenuts it is the common very inconvenient practice to turnthe wrench part way around with one hand, then change hands and turnpart way around with the other hand, and thus continue alternating fromhand to hand until the operation of screwing on or unscrewing the nut iscompleted. This method of operation is objectionable not only on accountof inconvenience, but also because there is danger of detaching anddropping the wrench while changing hands; also, because in operating thewrench in that way the sleeves of the coat or other garment of theoperator, frequently passing contiguous to the greasy and dirty hub ofthe wheel, are liable to come in contact therewith and thereby begreased or otherwise soiled or injured, and also because in turning thewrench and in making the necessary frequent changes the knuckles of theoperator are very likely to be injured by striking against the spokes ofthe wheel.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a wrench so constructed andarranged that it may be operated with one hand by a reciprocatingmovement of the handle of the wrench without changing hands, withoutgreasing or soiling the sleeve of the operator, and without striking theknuckles of the operator against the spokes of the wheel, thuscompletely obviating all of the objections hereinbefore stated.

With these ends in view my invention consists of certain novel anduseful features of construction and combinations of parts shown in theannexed drawings, to which reference is hereby made, and hereinafterparticularly described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the wrench with theparts in position to be locked together by a pin inserted in theregistering holes in the two members of the wrench; and Fig. 2 is aperspective viewof the wrench, showing the parts in position for thewrench to be operated by a reciprocating movement of the handle.

Similar letters of reference designate like parts in both of the views.

The wrench consists of a handle a and a socket-plate b, pivotallyconnected with the handle by a rivet c, which forms a pivot on which theparts turn. The socket-plate Z2 is bent at an angle, as shown, so thatthe outer end of the plate, which is provided with a socket b, may turnwithin the hub-cap of the Wheel when the socket is in position on theaxle-nut, and so that the handle may stand out from the wheel sulijciently to prevent the knuckles of the operator from striking the spokesof the wheel when the handle is recip rocated or turned, as hereinafterset forth.

In that part of the handle with which the socket-plate is connected andbetween the connecting-rivet c and the adjacent end of the handle is atransverse hole d, and in the socket-plate is a similar transverse holeZ1 which when the parts are connected and parallel, as shown in Fig. 1,registers with the -hole d.

In case it is desired to unscrew an axle nut which has become so tightlyset that unusual force is required to start it the handle may be rigidlyconnected, so as to greatly increase the leverage, by placing a suitablepin (not shown) in the holes 12 and (I, thus locking the parts together,so as to make the entire wrench rigid. I do not, however, limit myselfto the use of the precise form of looking device shown and described,since it is obvious that other and different locking devices may beemployed without departing from the spirit of or sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention.

By reason of placing the holes (1 and Z1 so that they will register witheach other between the socket b' and the pivot c, as shown anddescribed, I am enabled to make the socket-plate effective in turningthe nut ICO Without unduly increasing the length of the socket-plate. Iam also enabled to avoid the lateral extension of the outer end of thesocketplate beyond the edges of the handle, which would occur during theusing of the wrench it the socket-plate were made long enough to permita hole to be placed between the rivet and the outer end of thesocketplate. Such projection of the outer end of the socket-plate beyondthe handle would be very objectionable on account of the projecting endstriking and injuring the person or the clothing of the operator. Theordinary manipulation of the wrench consists in placing the socket onthe aXle-nut and then giving a reciprocating movement to the handle, soas to cause the socket-plate to revolve and screw on or unscrew the nut,as the case may be.

In starting a nut which binds unusually hard the handle is rigidlyconnected with the socket-plate, as already described. The nut may thenbe started by turning the handle, and when the nut is started the pinmay be withdrawn and the nut may then be unscrewed by giving areciprocating movement to the handle, thereby causing the socket-- plateto revolve and turn the nut, as hereinbefore set forth.

I am aware of the ordinary bu ggy-wrench having a laterally-extendingpart provided with a socket and a handle integral with the partcontaining the socket.

I am also aware of United States Patent No. 544,738, granted to II. J.Martin August 20, 1895, which shows a bar having jaws and pivotallyconnected with a handle, said bar being completely revoluble only whenthe nut is not in the jaw, and shows a locking device so placed that thepivot on which the arm turns lies between the jaw and the lockingdevice.

I am also aware of English patent to Harford and Sutcliffe, No. 14,973,dated November 18, 1886, which shows a locking device adapted to rigidlyconnect a rotatable plate having a series of jaws with a handle on whichsaid plate is supported in such manner that either of the jaws may bebrought into a position adjacent to the pivoted end of the wrench, saidplate, however, being always locked when in use.

I am not aware of the existence prior to my invention of a wrench havinga revoluble plate provided with a laterally-extending socket, said platewhen in position on the axle-nut being completely rotatable by areciprocating movement of a handle with which said plate is pivotallyconnected; neither am I aware of the existence prior to my invention ofa wrench having a socket-plate pivotally connected with a handle and alocking device connecting said plate with said handle at a place betweenthe socket in said plate and the pivot on which said plate turns.

In view of the foregoing I do not claim, broadly, a rotatable plate;neither do I claim, broadly, a device for locking the socket-plate tothe handle of the wrench.

\Vhat I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vehicle wrench of the class described, a socket-plate having apivotal connection with a handle, also having a lateral extensionprovided with a socket, also having a transverse hole between saidsocket and said pivotal connection; in combination with a handle withwhich said socket-plate ispivotally connected, said handle having atransverse hole with which the transverse hole in said socket-plateregisters, as set forth.

2. In a vehicle wrench of the class described, the combination of ahandle, a laterally-extending socket-plate provided with a socket, apivot connecting the socket-plate with the handle, and a locking deviceadapted to connect the socket-plate with the handle between said socketand said pivot, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oftwo witnesses.

' JOHN S. IIOUSE. lVitnesses:

WV. E. BAKER, C. E. Bonn.

